Oct 10 A bird in the hand

Confession...I love brunch! And when the new kid on the block "Two Birds One Stone" opened in July in Claremont Street I was eager to try the newest venture from the same group behind successful cafes Three Bags Full, Apte and Liar Liar. This place has been so popular my only chance to try it has been on a rare day off during the week!

The cafe is lovely and light and very homely with lots of beautiful oak timber throughout and quirky lighting. Two Birds has 80 seats and a mix of high timber island benches with stools, lower benches lining the windows which are perfect for people watching and cosy booths perfect for larger groups.

The coffee on offer is from Six Senses and it is very good. They have syphon and drip coffee for those who take their coffee seriously, but the friendly staff are just as happy serving up a latte with cute latte art. The menu is full of earthy tasty options including eggs benedict with ham hock and bernaise sauce (another birdie tells me this is excellent), marmalade french toast with orange and vanilla mousse and salt cod & potato fritters with spinach, poached eggs and a caper berry dressing.

After much deliberation I decided to try the large field mushrooms, Meredith dairy feta cheese, watercress and house made toasted brioche with the addition of a perfectly poached egg. This was seriously tasty! Probably one of my favourite brunches so far this year. I am eager to get back and try more of the Two Birds menu...just have to brave the crowds to snare a seat at this increasingly popular cafe.

I also recommend checking out the home baked goodies in the glass cabinets before you leave. The cheesecake brownie and the raspberry & chocolate brownie are both delicious.